Article 129/1 of the Constitution empowered President Mahinda Rajapaksa to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court on his eligibility to contest a presidential election again, Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told the media yesterday in Colombo.

The second term of the President would end on Nov. 19, he added.

Minister de Silva stressed that even the Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had said in Parliament on Nov. 3, 2014 that President Rajapaksa could consult the Supreme Court on his eligibility for seeking another term.

Asked to comment on the claim by the former C. J Sarath N Silva that President Rajapaksa was debarred from seeking a third term, Minister d Silva said that the former CJ was like a retired police officer and his statements had no legal validity. It was the incumbent Chief Justice who had to make a final decision on the President Rajapaksa’s eligibility to contest the third Presidential election, Minister de Silva said.